Housekeeping

Manual

2011

We Train Hotels.com
Index
Welcome 4
Our Mission 4
The Training Cycle 5
Housekeeping Policies and Procedures 8
Hot Button Issues 8
Clean Rooms Come From Best Practices 8
Safety Comes From Best Practices 8
Security Comes From Best Practices 8
Guest Illness 9
Guest Relations 9
Housekeeping Keys 10
Unusual Guestroom Situations 11
Room Status Codes 12
Early Check-in Procedures 13
Day Rooms 13
Guest Arriving with a Reservation 13
A Guest with a Reservation Arriving after 11:00 a.m. 13
For a Guest Arriving Without a Reservation 14
Do Not Disturb (DND) Rooms 14
Stay-Over Rooms 14
Late Check-outs 14
Complimentary Room/VIP Policy 15
Request for Rooms 15
Lost and Found Shipping Procedures 15
Breaks 15
Time Breakdown to Clean a Room 15
Verifying Room Status 16
Room Checks 16
Garbage 16
Recycling 16
Personal Protective Equipment 16
Tips 17
Housekeeping Carts 18
Set-Up 18
Supplies 18
Diagrams 19
Cleaning Overview 21
Inventory Procedures 21
Preparing Cleaning Solutions 21

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Index
How to Clean a Room 22
Preparing to Clean a Room 22
Cleaning the Bathroom 23
Making the Bed(s) 25
Dusting 26
Replenishing Guestroom Supplies 27
Vacuuming the Carpet 28
Our Hotel Guestroom Checklist 29
Our Hotel Guestroom Amenities 30
Inspecting Guestrooms 31
Guestroom Inspection Checklist 32
Laundry Operations 34
Preparing Laundry Equipment for Daily Operations 34
Sorting Linens 34
Washing Linens 35
Drying Linens 35
Folding Linens 36
How to Clean Public Areas 39
Lobby and Front Entrance 39
Meeting Rooms and Banquet Rooms 39
Offices 39
Public Washrooms 39
Your Hotel Public Area Checklist 40
Deep Cleaning 41
Reasons for Deep Cleaning 41
Tasks 41
Schedules 41
Frequency Recommendations 41
Task Checklist 42
Other Area to Deep Clean 43
General Housekeeping Safety Tips 44
Home Remedies for Tough Problems 45
Laundry 45
Laundering Formula 45
Helpful Hints 47
Bathroom 47
Removing Carpet Stains 49
Furniture Care 49
Spot and Odour Removal 50
Pest Control 50
General Hints 51
Laundry Stains 52

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4
Welcome

Welcome to CASA COLOMBO. You have joined a young, progressive, growing company in the
hospitality industry. To sustain the growth that we have enjoyed, however, we must continue
to successfully respond to the service needs of our guests. We can do that only through
you...gracious, friendly and professional employees.

Our guests expect CASA COLOMBO staff to be polite and well groomed, to be responsive,
answer any questions and to handle all transactions efficiently and in a positive manner.
Because Housekeeping is working in view of our guests, you must exhibit these
characteristics at all times.

Our Mission

The Housekeeping Department's mission is to provide clean, comfortable guest rooms in a

manner, which will promote guest loyalty. This means that our guest will find a consistently
made, first class room every time he checks into CASA COLOMBO. If there is a problem, it
means that the guest’s concerns will be dealt with swiftly and with a smile. Our role is not to
determine right or wrong, or to assess blame, but rather to make the complaint go away,
and restore the guest's faith in our brand. Our operating Departmental motto is “The Guest
Is Always Right”.

What Is a Room Attendant?

A Room Attendant at CASA COLOMBO could be defined as a Housekeeping Department

employee who cleans guestrooms. While this definition is technically correct, it doesn’t begin
to describe the effect you and other Room Attendants have on guests.
Many studies have shown that clean suites and public areas are the most important factors
in determining whether guests will return to a hotel. By cleaning suites, you make a
difference in the success of CASA COLOMBO and in the comfort of your guests.
You have a job to be proud of—without you, CASA COLOMBO would be empty. No one would
check into a suite that had dirty sheets, damp towels, and a floor littered with garbage.

You make sure each guest has a suite complete with all the comforts that amenities can
offer, and all the warmth that a clean room can bring.

You make the difference!

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The Training Cycle

Your First Five Days…

Training Cycle – This is a guideline of the Housekeeping training routine that should include
all of the following;

Day 1:

Department Orientation – Walk around hotel

Introduce to Housekeeping and front office team
Go through a non-rented completed room
Inspect non-rented rooms with a supervisor
Inspect rooms with supervisors (completed by room attendants)
Uniform
Go through housekeeping manual
The task list for room attendants

Include knowledge for all employees:

 I Can Do It!
 Making It Right
 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee
 Second Effort Program
 Personal Appearance
 Emergency Situations
 Lost and Found
 Recycling Procedures
 Safe Work Habits
 Manager on Duty
 Employee Policies

Day 2:

Review Day 1 (Plan additional training time, if necessary)

Discuss knowledge for All Housekeeping Employees:

 Working as a Team With Co-Workers and Other Departments

 Telephone Courtesy
 Security
 "Right to Know" Information
 Using Cleaning Supplies Correctly and Safely
 Maintenance Needs
 Special Cleaning Requirements
 Housekeeping Inventories

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Explain occupied rooms
Show and explain housekeeping storage rooms and the following;

 Use check lists

 Get Guest Amenities for Assigned Rooms
 Get Cleaning Supplies for Assigned Rooms
 Keep your Work Areas Organized

How to make a bed -Training

Allow them to make beds with guidance for the remainder of the day

Day 3:

Review Day 2 (Plan additional training time, if necessary)

Knowledge for All Room Attendants:

 What Is a Room Attendant?

 Days Standards of Excellence
 Room Status Codes – review, in housekeeping manual

Train on dusting and vacuuming

Make beds, dust and vacuum with guidance of Supervisor

Include the following tasks;

 Clean the Guestroom wardrobe and vanity drawers

 Replenish Supplies and Amenities
 Clean Windows, Tracks, and Sills
 Put Finishing Touches on the Guestroom

Explain room checklist in detail

Day 4:

Review Day 3 (Plan additional training time, if necessary)

Review the following tasks;

 Provide Extra Thoughtful Care for Stay-over Rooms

 Correct Cleaning Problems Found During Inspection
 Complete End-of-Shift Duties
 Rotate and Flip Mattresses
 Set Up or Remove Special Guest Service Equipment
 Provide Evening Turn-Down Service

Train on bathrooms – explain chemicals and cleaning supplies

Show how to clean a bathroom including the following:

 Clean the Tub and Shower Area

 Clean the Toilet
 Clean the Sink and Vanity
 Clean the Bathroom Floor
 Replenish Supplies and Amenities
 Finish Cleaning the Bathroom

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Have them clean one or two bathrooms with supervisor presence
Do bathrooms for the remainder of the day

Have them clean one or two suites completely on their own

Day 5:

Review all previous training days and plan additional training time, if necessary

Will receive 2 to 3 rooms to do on their own with guidance

Reinforce communication within Housekeeping Department and with Maintenance

One Day Program for Re-Training Room Attendants

 Review five day training program

 Re-emphasize safety and gracious hospitality
 Review lost and found
 Demonstration on CASA COLOMBO standards to clean

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 CASA Hot Button Issues
There are a number of housekeeping issues which deserve special attention:

Clean Rooms Come From Best Practices

Do you start at one side of the room and go around the room in a clockwise
or counter-clockwise direction? Do you do every guest room exactly the same way? By
establishing a pattern, you will never miss a spot and you will economize on the time you
actually spend in the guest room.
By not using best practices, you will actually be carrying dirt and potential infections from
guest room to guest room. So...never use a sponge. Use new rags for every guest room and
never use a rag that you have used on the toilet anywhere else.

Safety Comes From Best Practices

Blood borne pathogens have become a major issue in our society. If there are sheets or
towels with blood on them, do not touch the contaminated area and put these items into a
separate garbage bag, making sure you identify to your supervisor what is in the bag.
We should also be wearing plastic gloves...especially when cleaning out toilets where
pathogens are rampant. We feel that this is so important; we are asking you to sign a
statement that you have read the section in the staff manual and sign a declaration that you
have been informed of the risks of not complying with company policy.
In addition, we are doing things that are putting us at physical risk. For instance, the high
cleaning in the bath tub area should not be accomplished by standing on the side of the tub.
Step into the tub and use a long handle scrub brush to accomplish the task, taking special
care to dry the tile (put a rag over the brush) so that we will not
be promoting mildew.
The safe handling of needles is also very important. Call your supervisor immediately and
they will come to the room immediately to safely remove this potentially harmful item.

Security Comes From Best Practices

You should always be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone loitering in the
hallway, then you should ask if you can help them. If the are vague or do not have an
assigned guest room then you should be notifying Security that such an individual is in the
hotel.

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Housekeeping Policies & Procedures

Guest Illness

Whenever you notice that a guest is ill, please advise the Executive Housekeeper or the
Manager on Duty, so that we can be sure they have everything they need, or perhaps we
can be of some help to them. We would also like to be sure that they are not in need of a
Doctor.
This would also apply to anyone who is handicapped in any way or very elderly. Most
handicapped and elderly people are very independent and if they are travelling either on
their own or with someone, they are very self-sufficient but sometimes we may be of some
help to them, and don't forget the babies.

Guest Relations

The housekeeper's greeting of guests in a friendly manner affects CASA COLOMBO in two
ways:

1. Makes the guest feel welcome.

2. Acknowledges guest presence (i.e. what if the person is not a guest, rather a thief.
Studies have shown that someone who intends to do harm/cause damage does not want
to be noticed. The acknowledgement of that individual by the housekeeper might make a
thief think twice before committing a crime).

As housekeepers, we must:

1. Acknowledge all guests

2. Be helpful.
3. Be courteous and polite.
4. Recognize CASA is in business - For The Guest.

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Procedures Explanation

1. Whenever you see a guest, look the guest in the When you give the first greeting it
eye and say, "Good Morning (afternoon etc.)". makes the guest feel welcome

2. If a guest seems lost or appears to need help, Don't wait for the guest to
smile speak. and ask, "May I help you?” Your interest will make the guest
feel at home.

3. If a guest wants the room cleaned
while remaining in it, ask your supervisor.
We always try to carry out the
guest's wishes, but for your
security, it may be desirable to
ask for help, depending on the
situation.

4. If the guest complains to you about a problem, say Superior service with an
"I'm sorry. Let me help you or "Let me get what understanding attitude
you need" or I'll tell my supervisor." will make the guest feel better
and realize you care.

If you overhear a complaint, tell your supervisor so the complaint can be taken care of.

Suite Keys

Suite keys are the first line of defense against theft, guest harm, and room damage. It's very
important that they stay only in the hands of those who need them.

Some basic guidelines will help you keep CASA COLOMBO safe and secure for guests, fellow
employees, and you:

▪ always turn in your housekeeping key whenever you leave the hotel.
▪ Do not loan anyone your key
▪ If you lose a key, report it immediately to your Supervisor.

CASA COLOMBO Standards of Excellence

The condition of each guest's room should enhance the guest's overall experience. Making
sure guestrooms are clean, neatly arranged, and inviting at all times is your ultimate goal as
a Room Attendant. Radisson Standards of Excellence help you achieve that goal.

You were hired for your ability to meet the Standards of Excellence. What are some of these
standards? You must:

▪ Thoroughly clean mirrors, glass surfaces, windows (inside and out), ashtrays, walls,
telephones, and wastebaskets
▪ Thoroughly clean and dust baseboards, pictures, window sills, drapes, chairs (legs
and rungs), dressers and drawers, desks and drawers, lamps, lamp shades, light
bulbs, headboards, closet poles and hangers, closet shelves, and televisions
▪ Neatly make beds, and make sure there are no stains, holes, or loose threads in
bedding materials
▪ Thoroughly vacuum guestroom carpeting, and make sure it doesn't have any stains
or holes
▪ Make sure each guestroom's electrical and mechanical functions are in proper
working order
▪ Follow "Yes I Can!" standards:

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  Give Personal Attention  Take Personal Responsibility
 Use Teamwork

Unusual Suite Situations

As a Room Attendant, you will respond to a lot of different situations. While you can't predict
everything, you can try to be as prepared as possible. That way you will be able to respond
calmly and reduce your stress level. If you come across an unusual situation, please contact
your Supervisor immediately.

Some examples of unusual suite situations are:

1. Flooded Bathroom - This may have happened from toilet overflow or leaky plumbing.
Let Maintenance know right away.
2. Sick Guest - Ask if the guest wants medical attention. If so, call the Duty Manager and
explain the situation to him or her right away. If you need to clean up vomit,
remember to wear gloves and aprons, and follow the other blood borne pathogen
safety procedures. Vomit is a body fluid that can carry disease.
3. Dead Guest - Leave the room right away. Don't touch anything in the guestroom. Call
duty manager and security. They will handle the situation for you. Your supervisor will
let you know if you need to do anything else.
4. Firearms, illegal substances, large sums of cash - You'll want to protect yourself by
letting your supervisor know right away when you find these things.
5. Unauthorized pet - Tell the Duty Manager about any unauthorized pets or signs of
pets.
6. Guest who suggests a romantic encounter - Be careful in this situation. Politely refuse
the suggestion, and leave as soon as possible. If you feel threatened let your
supervisor or Security know.
7. Abused guestroom - Some guests will destroy a room just for fun. This is costly to the
hotel, and it takes a lot longer to clean that room. Tell your supervisor about the
abused room. That way, someone else can clean some of your rooms while you work
on the damaged room. Also, the Duty Manager and the DOMO allocated to the suite
may be able to charge the guests for the damage.

Early Check-in Procedures

In an effort to provide our guests with the best possible service and in an effort to reduce
stress levels at our DOMO and in housekeeping, the following procedures are to be
implemented.

Day Room

If a guest arrives looking for a day room, the DOMO should be getting in touch with
reservations and check availability and housekeeping as soon as possible to find a suite that
is clean. DOMO should not be taking reservations for day suites since their availability
depends on how soon guests check-out that morning.

Guest Arriving Early with a Reservation…

When a guest with a reservation arrives before the regular check-in time, communication
between the departments will make it easier to accommodate the guest as quickly as
possible. Yes, check-in time is still 2 p.m.; however, if it is possible to accommodate guests
sooner we should be doing so.

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A Guest with a Reservation Arriving After 11:00 a.m.

After 11:00 am the following basic procedures will result in better communication, faster
service, and happier guests! (That’s why we are here!)

When the guest arrives to check in, check if there may be a different room type which will
satisfy the guest that is clean and available at that time. If so, feel free to check them in
after confirming with reservations.

If there are no clean rooms at that time, find out the type room needed. Call housekeeping
immediately to let them know which suite guest requires. Housekeeping will not know what
is needed if DOMO does not tell them. (they are not psychic). If possible housekeeping
should give DOMO an approximate time to advise the guest when to return for keys.

When finished with a needed room, housekeeping should let DOMO know as soon as
possible.

For A Guest Arriving Without A Reservation

For a guest arriving without a reservation, the check in time is 2:00 p.m. Eak-in depends on
the situation. If there are no guests with reservations waiting and it is possible to have a
room ready before check in, DOMO should be checking the guest in.

For housekeeping, calling DOMO with clean rooms is only required for rooms which have
been requested. For all other rooms housekeeping should be updating DOMO’s on request.

It is a matter of communication and team work. We are here to provide the guest with a
comfortable stay as quickly as possible! We can do this together!

Do Not Disturb (DND) Rooms

▪ If a suite is DND please inform your Supervisor and they will check with the DOMO to see
if the guest has decided to stay over or has a late check-out.

Stay-Over Rooms
▪ If you have a stay-over room, inquire DOMO to see if the guest would like to have their
room cleaned and follow the procedure.

Late Check-Outs
▪ If a guest has not checked-out by noon, please inform your Supervisor. They will make
the DOMO aware and the DOMO will call the room to remind the guest of the check-out
time.

Complimentary Room/VIP Policy

All complimentary room guests will be treated as VIP's.

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Request for Rooms
There may be times when a guest arrives early or walks-in and requests a room as soon as
possible, the DOMO will get in touch with the Housekeeping Department and let them know
what type of room is requested and see how long before one is ready.

Breaks

All housekeeping staff will be entitled to a half-hour paid lunch break at which time you are
not to leave the property unless permission has been given by your Supervisor.

Housekeeping staff will be entitled to a paid fifteen minute afternoon break.

Room Checks

Room attendants are required to return to a room if the room inspection shows that
something was missed or not completed properly. The room attendant will also be required
to initial the Inspector’s request and return to the room to complete the work. This is to
ensure our guests are checking into a comfortable, clean room.

Garbage

All garbage must be removed from housekeeping and taken to the garbage containers
specified.

Recycling

All Room Attendants are required to take part in the recycling program. This means you are
required to sort all recycling and place in the appropriate recycling bin and not leave
recyclable items in the garbage bag.

Any beer bottles you find in the rooms are to be taken to the housekeeping office. The
bottles will be returned and any money we get back will go into an account to reward the
Housekeeping staff (i.e. treated to dinner).

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment is provided (i.e. gloves). If you cannot find something, please
ask your Supervisor.

Tips

Tips left in the rooms belong to the Room Attendant that cleaned the room. If there is a tip
left from a guest who was staying more than one night, the money will be distributed to
each housekeeper that cleaned the room during their stay.

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Cleaning Overview

Inventory Procedures and Control

A stated earlier in this manual, the primary responsibility of the Housekeeping Department is
to clean the suites. This responsibility could not be accomplished without effectively
controlling and utilizing the personnel, the suites and the cleaning supplies.

It is crucial to regularly inventory all supplies and equipment. The next two sections will
focus on two main areas:

1. Preparing cleaning solution

2. Inspecting suites

Preparing Cleaning Solutions

Proper preparation of cleaning solutions is one of the most effective ways for a property to
reduce costs. All too often, we think "more is better." This is not the case in mixing cleaning
solutions. A ratio of 17 parts water to 1 part solution is ideal for cleaning.

Two types of cleaners are commonly used on the properties: All-purpose cleaners and
window cleaners. The all-purpose cleaner is used on porcelain, glass, mirror and furniture
surfaces. (If the rooms have brass fixtures, a brass cleaner must be used).

To mix all-purpose cleaner:

1. Fill mixing drum to within six inches of its top with water.
2. Add three gallons of all-purpose cleaner concentrate to make a 17:1 dilution (water to
cleaner).
3. Fill quart spray bottles with all-purpose cleaner solution from drum and replace top of
spray bottles securely.

To mix Window Cleaner:

1. Spray two squirts from quart-sized bottle of all-purpose cleaner solution into an empty
quart-sized spray bottle.
2. Fill bottle with water and replace top of spray bottle securely.

One last not before leaving this section:

Safety precautions should be followed when dealing with any chemicals. Care
should be taken to prevent the chemicals from splashing into the eyes or face.

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How to Clean a Room

Do you start at one side of the room and go around the room in a clockwise or counter-
clockwise direction? Do you do every suite exactly the same way? By establishing a pattern,
you will never miss a spot and you will economize on the time you actually spend in the
suite. By not using best practices, you will actually be carrying dirt and potential infections
from suite to suite.

Preparing to Clean a Room

1. Pick up the daily suite check lists.

2. Always be careful not to make excessive noise in the suite area at any time of the day.
You never know when it might disturb a guest.
3. Prior to entering the guest room, look for a "Do Not Disturb" sign. If the sign is out, you
should come back to the suite at a later time or confirm the time with DOMO.
4. Always close the door if you must leave the area.
5. The first thing you should do upon entering is open the drapes. This will give you more
light in the room to spot cleaning problems.
6. Turn on all lights.
7. Check for any mattresses, cribs, and special request items. Take these out of the room
once guest leaves.
8. Collect bottles and cans and soiled glasses and empty any liquid into the toilet. Wash,
rinse, and dry ice bucket, tray, and ashtrays and return them to their place.
9. Now strip the linen from the beds. Shake all bed linen carefully over the bed. Pillowcases
are among favourite hiding places for watches, wallets, and other valuables. Turn in all
lost articles to your supervisor with a note stating the room number, your name, and a
description of the item. Sheets in stay-over rooms must be changed daily.
10. Check bedspreads for stains; wash as needed or replace with a clean spread; do not
allow clean bedspreads to touch the floor, throw them over the chair.
11. Save unnecessary steps by carrying clean bed and bath linen and other supplies you will
need.
12. Empty wastebaskets carefully into the trash as a guest may have dropped razor blades
or broken glass into it. Clean wastebaskets and return them to their rightful place. Be
sure not to spill trash on the floor.
13. Note all needed room repairs on Housekeeper's Room check list and raise a Job Order.

The Steps listed above are the preparation procedures for cleaning the suite. In
the next section, the actual cleaning procedures will be discussed.

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